Joshua 3:1-9
Jos 3:1
And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed
from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged
there before they passed over.
Shittim was 8 miles (13 KM) east of the Jordan River.
Once they came to the Jordan River, they had lodged or camped there
before going over. They
stopped there just like previously Moses had camped by the Red Sea before going
over. Joshua had camped because
they would now wait for the LORD’s direction as to how they would cross the
Jordan. There are times during the
year that the Jordan River overflows and is very high.
It was like the same situation they faced 40 years prior in crossing the
Red Sea.
Jos 3:2
And it came to pass after three days, that the officers
went through the host;
Then after three days the officers had gone through the
people a second time. The first
time we saw in Joshua 1:10-11. This
time they were bringing more specific instructions.
Jos 3:3
And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the
ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing
it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.
Then their instructions were clear.
They were to be ready that when they saw the Ark of the Covenant which
was being carried by the Levites, then they were to follow behind it.
We are to follow the ordinance of the LORD wherever it leads.
We walk after the leading of the Spirit in the Christian life.
There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)
The Ark of the Covenant was in the tabernacle but here it is visible for
all Israel to see.
Jos 3:4
Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two
thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by
which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.
The Jordan River was probably high at this time but they
were to follow the Ark at a distance of 2,000 cubits which would be 3,000 feet
or 915 meters. This was the
distance to the center of the Jordan River.
They were not to approach the Ark or come near to it.
It would be like a person attempting to approach God without coming
through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ is the antitype of the Ark and those who follow him will follow him to
the heavenly Canaan. The Ark will
lead the Israelites where they must go just as the Lord Jesus Christ leads the
Christians in which way they should go.
Never in the history of the Jordan River has anyone crossed over it in
the manner that Israel is about to.
Jos 3:5
And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for
to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.
Then Joshua tells the people that they must sanctify
themselves and they would do that ceremonially by washing their clothes and
their bodies and also abstaining from sexual intimacies with their wives.
This was a repeat of the time they were at Sinai to receive the law and
go over to the promised land which did not happen out of fear.
14 And Moses went down
from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their
clothes. 15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third
day: come not at your wives.
(Exodus 19:14-15) Once again
Israel is going to witness the miracle working of God as they will cross the
Jordan on dry land as they did when they went through the Red Sea.
Jos 3:6
And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the
ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark
of the covenant, and went before the people.
Normally it was the job of the Levites to carry the Ark
but here on this occasion the priests were the ones doing it.
The ark contained the covenant of Sinai which was made between God and
Israel. If they continued in
obedience then they would possess the land indefinitely and if they became
disobedient, they would lose the land permanently.
Now the Ark was to pass before the people instead of in the midst of the
people where it was placed by divine decree which was in the middle of the
twelve tribes. Notice that Joshua
uses the same word “Passover” which was used on the final plague.
If any home in Egypt did not have Lamb’s blood on it, then they lost
their firstborn. Here the Ark is
being seen as the honor of Israel and its defense because God stood behind that
Ark.
Jos 3:7
And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to
magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with
Moses, so I will be with thee.
Just as God had made Moses great in the eyes of the
people, God is going to do the same thing with Joshua.
He wants Israel to know that Joshua has now taken the reins of leadership
and all those who were loyal to Moses must now be loyal to Joshua.
To magnify meant God was going to make him great in the eyes of Israel so
they would know that Joshua is the one to follow into the Promised land.
Whenever a new leader takes over, there are normally some who are still
loyal to the old ways but God is making sure Israel knows that they are entering
a new era.
Jos 3:8
And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of
the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye
shall stand still in Jordan.
Then Joshua was to relay the command of the LORD to the
priests who were bearing the Ark of the Covenant.
They were to approach the Jordan river and were to halt at the edge or
brink of the river. They were not
to cross yet.
Jos 3:9
And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither,
and hear the words of the LORD your God.